Computer Engineering

The work of computer engineers is all around us, in smartphones, smart homes and smart cars. Computer engineers are experts in the hardware and software that make up all computer systems—and the networks that connect them. Computers are the brains inside nearly every piece of modern technology, be it cell phones, household appliances, automated manufacturing systems or medical instruments. This means computer engineers are in high demand and have the potential to impact nearly every facet of daily life.

Computer engineers can be found driving innovation in a wide range of industries. Here are just a few examples:

Graduate Programs & Research Opportunities

Research and graduate education in computer engineering focuses on hardware platforms, software applications and computer networks. As part of an Electrical & Computer Engineering Department that has one of the nation’s top doctoral programs, BU’s computer engineers work with support from some of the nation’s leading funding agencies. Computer engineering faculty and graduate students conduct research in areas such as:

Computer Architecture and Design

Digital and Analog VLSI

Embedded and Reconfigurable Computing

Mobile Computing

Networking for Communication and Sensor Systems

Computer and Network Security

Electronic Design Automation

Bio-Design Automation and Synthetic Biology

Multimedia Systems

High Performance and GPU Computing

Where Do Our Alumni Work?

IBM

Microsoft

Akamai

General Dynamics

Lincoln Lab

Mathworks

Merck

Genzyme

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Why Study at BU?

Two words: our faculty. As leaders in their respective fields, they are well grounded in the latest technologies and are often the masterminds behind them. Faculty members provide undergraduate students with one-on-one advising and opportunities to work in their research labs.

In addition, our high-tech instructional labs provide an unparalleled environment for coursework, extracurricular exploration and teamwork. Our challenging curriculum prepares students for both the workforce and graduate school—many of our graduates go on to study engineering, business, law and medicine at top-ranked schools.

Our graduate students have opportunities to work in cross-disciplinary topics, ranging from computer systems to fiber lasers to cybersecurity. They collaborate with researchers throughout the BU campus and work with other Boston-area universities and companies. We expect our graduate students to present their work at national and international conferences, publish in leading journals and become active members of our community, and we offer excellent possibilities for funding and support.